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The information you need to follow legislation in the House and Senate- starting with articles and NewsClips from last week--
Environment & Energy NewsClips--
Gov. Shapiro
-- Gov. Shapiro’s Work Group Concludes A Cap-And-Invest Carbon Pollution Regulation Program Would Be Optimal Approach To Reducing Greenhouse Emissions From Power Plants; Scale Up Solar Energy [PaEN]
-- AP: Gov. Shapiro Noncommittal On Greenhouse Gas Strategy As Climate Task Force Finishes Work
-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: Gov. Shapiro’s Climate Work Group Endorses Emissions Curbs To Fight Climate Change But Don’t Embrace RGGI Membership
-- PennLive Guest Essay: Gov. Shapiro, The Fracking Clock Is Ticking - By Megan McDonough, Food & Water Watch
-- Gov. Shapiro Kicks Off Process For Developing First Statewide Economic Development Strategy In Nearly 2 Decades
-- Gov. Shapiro Announces $10 Million Shovel-Ready Business Sites Pilot Program
Budget
-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso, Kate Huangpu: PA Lawmakers Still Trying To Finish The Budget 3 Months After The Deadline
-- Outdoor Life: Bill Would Divert $150 Million From Game Commission, Threaten Federal Wildlife Funding In PA
-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Groups Oppose State’s Attempt To Move Money From Game Commission To Another Fund
-- NewsTalk103.7FM: PA Officials Warn Of $150 Million ‘Raid’ On State Game Fund
-- Centre Daily Times - Mark Nale: PA Senate Passes Bill That Would Rob PA Hunters Of $150 Million
-- Spotlight PA: PA Budget Chips Away At $1.4 Billion Backlog Of Infrastructure Projects In State Parks, State Forests
Oil & Gas Health Study
-- Environmental Health Project: How DEP Issues Permits For Shale Gas Facilities Without Considering Cumulative Impacts - How New Facilities Will Add To Existing Pollution Loads And Impact The Area [PaEN]
-- On Sept. 27 Families Will Hold Town Hall Meeting In Washington County Seeking Policy Changes After Pitt Studies Link Natural Gas Development And Negative Health Outcomes [PaEN]
-- PennLive Guest Essay: Gov. Shapiro, The Fracking Clock Is Ticking - By Megan McDonough, Food & Water Watch
Natural Gas Explosions
-- PUC Investigating Delaware County Natural Gas Pipeline Leak, House Explosion And Evacuation Of 100+ People [PaEN]
-- Insurance Journal: Information Security Issue Stalls Federal Probe Of Fatal Natural Gas Explosion At Reading Factory
-- WTAE: Natural Gas Pipeline Leak In Collier Twp., Allegheny County Forces People Out Of Their Homes
-- Observer-Reporter: Pipeline Operator Faces $100,000 PUC Penalty For 2020 House Explosion In Greene County
-- PUC Commissioner Kathryn Zerfuss Appointed To Presidential Task Force On Evolving Natural Gas Infrastructure Planning
-- PUC PA One Call Underground Utility Damage Prevention Committee Issues $174,950 In Penalties To 150 Companies For Violations
-- PUC Now Accepting New Member Applications For PA One Call Damage Prevention Committee
Village Of Reno Water Supply Contamination
-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Sept. 23 to 29; More Abandoned Wells; Oil & Gas Doesn’t Typically Issue NOVs For ‘Routine’ Venting Of Natural Gas, Will Air Quality Under New Regs? [PaEN]
Abandoned Mine Subsidence Sinkhole
-- WNEP: Mine Subsidence Sinkhole Filled In Luzerne County Under Emergency DEP Contract
-- Wilkes-Barre Times: DEP: Newport Twp. Mine Subsidence Sinkhole Repair Could Cost $200,000
-- WNEP: Work Continues To Fill Mine Subsidence Sinkhole In Luzerne County
-- WNEP: Do You Live Above An Abandoned Mine In Pennsylvania? Here’s How To Find Out [Mine Subsidence Insurance Available From DEP]
-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Sinkhole Caused By Underground Coal Mine Subsidence Opens Near Newport Twp. Apartment Complex, Dozens Displaced; 14 Apartments Condemned
-- WNEP: More Than 20 People Displaced, Buildings Condemned After Massive Sinkhole Opens Up In Luzerne County Due To Underground Coal Mine Subsidence
-- WNEP: Mine Subsidence Sinkhole In Newport Twp., Luzerne County Continues To Grow, Crews Start To Fill It In
--Citizens Voice: Crews Start To Fill In Newport Twp. Mine Subsidence Sinkhole Monday In Luzerne County
-- WNEP: History Repeating Itself At Site Of Mine Subsidence Sinkhole In Luzerne County; Subsidence At Same Location 40 Years Ago
Flooding
-- FEMA Denies Gov. Shapiro’s Request For Federal Disaster Declaration For July 9 Flooding In Berks County; SBA Approves Disaster Relief Loans [PaEN]
-- County Of Berks: US Small Business Administration Declares Disaster In Berks County Offers Disaster Relief Loans
-- Reading Eagle: Berks County Gets US Small Business Administration Emergency Declaration Related To Flood Damages After Disaster Declaration Denied By FEMA
-- MCall: FEMA Denies Emergency Declaration Request For July Storm That Devastated Berks County; Request For Northampton County Storm Still Pending
-- Scranton Times: Recovery, Repairs From Flash Flooding Continue In Scranton, Abingtons
-- WNEP: Residents In Luzerne County Frustrated Over Major Flooding Issues
-- Bloomberg: Climate Disasters Drain US Emergency Fund, Adding To Government Shutdown Risk
Train Derailment-Related Issues
-- PennLive: Plan To Bring Trains Carrying LNG Natural Gas Thru PA, NJ Towns Hits Another Roadblock
-- WNEP: Lock Haven Fire Dept. Monitoring Hazmat Incident Involving A Rail Car Leaking Carbon Dioxide Saturday In Clinton County
-- Altoona Mirror Editorial: Railroad Industry Making Strides To Better Safety
-- TribLive Guest Essay: $200 Million In Public Money To Upgrade PA Rail Line To Increase Passenger Service A Great Deal For…. Norfolk Southern - By Colin McNickle, Allegheny Institute for Public Policy
-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Boosting Pittsburgh’s Economy With A 2nd Train To New York
-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: A Voice From Buried Town Of Times Beach, Missouri Has Advice For Residents Impacted By Norfolk Southern Train Derailment - Get Out [Times Beach Roads Were Sprayed With Waste Oil Containing Dioxin To Suppress Dust ]
PA Politics Of Russian Invasion
-- Reuters: US Winter Heating Costs To Rise For Most, Natural Gas Customers To See Drop Of -- 1% From Last Year
-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drill Rigs Down 1 From Last Week to 20
-- AAA Gasoline Prices: PA Average- $3.89; National Average- $3.82; Ohio- $3.44
-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Region Gasoline Prices Continue To Climb While National Average Slightly Drops
-- KDKA: Pittsburgh-Area Gasoline Prices Leaving Drivers Frustrated As Prices In Rest Of Country Drop
-- Bloomberg: Gasoline Prices This Winter Will Be Determined By Saudi Arabia
-- Reuters: US Crude Oil Production Climbs To Near Record High In July [Global Oil Prices Still Pushing Up]
-- AP: Oil Prices Have Risen Making Gasoline More Expensive For US Drivers And Helping Russia’s War [Saudi Arabia’s Decision To Cut Production Having Impact]
-- Wall Street Journal: $100 Oil Needs Western Drills To Stay Quiet
-- US EIA: Natural Gas Weekly Update Ending Sept. 20
-- US EIA: US Natural Gas Prices Fall 34% In First Half Of 2023
-- Reuters: US Drillers Cut Oil And Gas Rigs For First Time In 3 Weeks [Producers Focused On Returning Money To Investors, Paying Down Debt Not Boosting Oil & Gas Production]
-- S&P Global: Transco Pipeline Expansion Startup, Elevated Gas Storage Levels, Mild Weather To Weigh On Mid-Atlantic Natural Gas Prices This Winter
Environment/Energy Issues
-- House Judiciary Committee Meets Oct. 3 To Consider Bill Against Lawsuits Aimed At Silencing Citizen Critics; Republicans, Democrats Introduced Similar Bills [PaEN]
-- House/Senate Legislative Climate Caucus Announces Climate Week Activities In PA Oct. 1-7; PA Climate Convergence Oct. 1-2 [PaEN]
-- House Environmental Committee Holds Hearing On Bill To Protect Stream Buffers Oct. 2 [PaEN]
-- Pennsylvania Receives Federal Appalachian States Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award For Clearfield County Mine Reclamation, Trail Enhancement Project [PaEN]
-- Member Of Pine Creek Headwaters Protection Group Briefs DCNR Advisory Council On Siting Of Shale Gas Well Pad On State Forest Land To Accommodate Taking Gas From Private Land In Tioga County [PaEN]
-- Gettysburg Times: DCNR Secretary Dunn Stresses Connection Between Community And Protection Of Natural Resources Giving People ‘A Sense Of Place’ That Makes PA Unique [PaEN]
-- DCNR: Additional State Forest Roads Opening For Hunting Seasons, Other Outdoor Activities; Use Caution In Areas Of Natural Gas Drilling
-- The Allegheny Front: EPA’s Approval Of 2nd Plum Boro Oil/Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Allegheny County Raises Fears That More Are On The Way
-- Grist - Will Peischel: Inside The Rough-And-Tumble Race To Clean Up America’s Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells [PA Highlighted]
-- Guest Essay: DEP Should Invest $33.6 Million In New Federal Funding Wisely To Plug Conventional Oil & Gas Wells And Not Reward The Industry For Bad Behavior - By Russell Zerbo, Clean Air Council [PaEN]
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Same Geology, Same Drilling, Different Resource: Geothermal Energy Interest Simmers In PA
-- PJM Interconnection Board Proposes Market Reforms Based Largely On Unreliability Of Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants During Winter Storm Elliot [PaEN]
-- Guest Essay: EPA Further Threatens Grid Reliability By Reducing Carbon Pollution From Power Plants, Including Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants - By Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the PA Senate Environmental Committee
-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: A Drop In Emissions, A Jobs Bonanza? Critics Question Benefits Of Proposed Hydrogen Hub For the Appalachian Region
-- Inquirer Column: South Philly’s Former Refinery Site Is City’s Next Big Job Center, Can It Avoid The Navy Yard’s Mistakes?
-- FEMA Denies Gov. Shapiro’s Request For Federal Disaster Declaration For July 9 Flooding In Berks County; SBA Approves Disaster Relief Loans [PaEN]
-- Inquirer: PA Should Change Its Emissions Testing To Meet Air Quality Goals, Auto Shops Say; A Faulty Testing Device Is Making That Tougher
Top 10 Stories On Harrisburg/PA Politics Last Week--
Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--
-- Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week [PaEN]
Senate, House Bills Moving Last Week
The following environmental and energy bills saw movement last week--
House
Fish Commission Fee Adoption: House Bill 1409 (Kulik-D-Allegheny) extending authority for Fish & Boat Commission to adopt its own fees through 2035 was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee [House Fiscal Note & Summary] and passed by the House in a bipartisan vote of 154 to 48. It now goes to the Senate for action.
EV Charging: House Bill 1474 (Ciresi-D-Montgomery) that would expand the C-PACE clean energy financing program to include electric vehicle charging infrastructure was reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on a largely party-line vote and Tabled [Usual Procedure].
Cryptocurrency Mining: House Bill 1476 (Vitali-D-Delaware) putting in place a two-year moratorium on issuing permits to electric generating facilities used by cryptocurrency mining operations was passed over in the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee was Passed Over in Committee.
Anti-Littering Law Acknowledgement: House Bill 1044 (Ciresi-D-Montgomery) providing plain language acknowledgement of state anti-littering laws on vehicle registrations and drivers’ licenses was referred to the House Appropriations Committee.
ATV, Off-Road Vehicle, Dirt Bike Use On City Streets: House Bill 1338 (Neilson-D- Philadelphia) prohibiting the use of ATVs, off-road vehicles and dirt bikes on city streets was referred to the House Appropriations Committee.
Bill Calendars
House (October 2): House Bill 962 (Vitali-D- Delaware) to restore DEP’s authority to review conventional oil and gas well plugging bonding amounts to help prevent the routine abandonment of between 400 and 600 conventional oil and gas wells a year by operators; House Resolution 79 (Pisciottano-D-Allegheny) urging the Biden Administration and Congress to designate Pennsylvania as a hydrogen hub.<> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.
Senate (October 2): Senate Bill 723 (Phillips-Hill-R-York) prohibits public employees from lobbying the agencies they worked for for two years, but does not apply to lawmakers or lawyers. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.
Committee Meetings
House
-- October 2-- House Game and Fisheries Committee holds informational meeting on House Bill 1522 (Probst-D-Monroe) establishing a wildlife Rehab Grant Program. Room 523 Irvis Building. 9:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live online.
-- October 2-- House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee holds hearing on House Bill 1275 (Webster-D-Montgomery) to protect riparian stream buffers. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live online. Read more here.
-- October 3-- House Judiciary Committee meets to consider House Bill 1466 (Bizzarro-D-Erie) to prevent powerful interests from filing SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) lawsuits to silence citizen critics. Room 140. 9:30 a.m. Click Here to watch live online. Read more here.
<> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.
Senate
<> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.
Bills Introduced
Study Of Agrivoltaic Farming: House Resolution 224 (Rabb-D-Philadelphia) directing the Joint State Government Commission to study the benefits of agrivoltaic farming (sponsor summary)
Designating Climate Week: House Resolution 228 (Otten-D-Chester) designating the week of October 1-7 Climate Week in Pennsylvania (sponsor summary). Read more here.
Designating Climate Week: Senate Resolution (Comitta-D-Chester) designating the week of October 1-7 Climate Week in Pennsylvania (sponsor summary). Read more here.
Bills Pending In Key Committees
Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.
Session Schedule
Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--
Senate
October 2, 3, 4, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25
November 13, 14, 15
December 11, 12, 13
House
October 2, 3, 4, 16, 17, 18, 30, 31
November 1, 13, 14, 15
[Posted: October 1, 2023]
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